Work-guiding device for sewing machines



*April' 19, 1932. R. J. sAlLER 8 5,

I WORK GUIDING DEVICE FOR SEWINGRMACHINES Filed Aug. 30. 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 1 April 19, 1932. 4 j R. J. SAILER 7 ,855,139

WORK GUIDING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Aug. 50. 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 19, 1 932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICERUDOLPH J. SAILER, OF TOWNLEY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGEE MANU-FACTURING COMPANY, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEYWORK-GUIDING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES Application filed August 30,1930. Serial No. 478,876.

This invention relates to improvements in v sewing machines and has forits primary ob- The foregoing and other objects and ad-' vantages inview, together with means whereby the same may be carried into effect,will best be understood from the following de- 'script-ion of apreferred embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which:

Fig. 1 is a top-plan view of a portion of a sewing machine cloth-plateand of the improved work-guiding devices, with a stripfolder inoperative position and an edgefolder in inoperative position. Fig. 2 isa view similar to Fig. 1, but with the edgefolder in operative positionand the stripfolder swung out into inoperative position. Fig. 3 is asectional view of the strip-folder substantially on the line 3-3 ofFig. 1. 4 is a front side elevation of a portion of the improved sewingmachine. Fi 5 is a view in side elevation and Fig. 6 in ront end'elevation of the sewing machine presser-foot, with one of theedge-guides carried thereby latched in raised position. Figs. 7 and 8are views similar to Figs. 5 and 6, with the edgeguide lowered'below thepresser-foot tread surface. Fig. 9 represents in perspective the severalparts of the presser-foot,unassembled.

Referring to the drawings, a sewing machine to which the presentimprovements have been applied has a bed-plate 1 supporting acloth-plate 2, and a bracket-arm terminating in a head 3 overhanging theclothplate. J ournaled in the bracket-arm head 3 for verticalreciprocation is a needle-bar 4: carrying, in the present instance, a'pair of Fig.-

laterally spaced needles, 5 with which may cooperate any suitable looperor loop-taker mechanism below the cloth-plate, in the formation ofstitches.

Also journaled for endwise movement in the head 3. is the usualpresser-bar 6, to the lower end of which is secured, by a screw 7, theshank 8 of a presser-foot having a footplate 9 from the upper side ofwhich rise the laterally spaced lugs 10 disposed at 0pposite sides ofthe reduced lower portion of the shank 8. The foot-plate lugs 10 and theshank 8 have alined apertures 11 and 12 receiving a headed fulcrum-pin13 disposed transversely of the length of the foot-plate and heldagainst endwise movement in the apertures 11, 12, by its head 14 and adetachable collar 15. It will therefore be understood that thefoot-plate 9 is capable of rocking about an axis transverse .to the lineof seamformation, the lower operative face or tread surface of saidfoot-plate being flat in the rearward portion thereof and upwardlycurved at the toe portion 16. 4 The foot-plate is provided, in thepresent instance, with two laterally spaced needle-apertures 17 betweeneach of which and the adjacent edge of the foot-plate is a slot 18extending lengthwise of the foot-plate from near the forward extremityof the toe portion 16 to the rear end of said foot-plate.

Disposed in the foot-plate slots 18 for vertical movement therein andextending substantially throughout the length thereof are edgeguide fins19 and 20, from the upper side near the rearward end of which riseguidepins 21 slidingly entering vertical apertures 22 provided in thefoot-plate lugs 10. The lugs 10 also'have vertically disposed apertures23 receiving coil springs 24'engaging the guide-fins 19, 20 upon theupper edge thereof directly in front of the guide-pins 21, said springsbeing confined within the apertures 23 by a cap-plate 25 secured uponthe lugs 10 by screws '26.

Projecting laterally from the guide-fins. 19, 20 and into verticallyelongated slots 27, provided in the outer sides of the foot-plate lugs10, are stop-pins 28 and 29 which serve to limit the vertical movementof the guideiii) pins. The stop-pin 28 projects beyond its slot 27 to anextenti rendering it engageble by a nose 30 of a fin-lifting lever 31pivotally mounted upon the side of a lug 10 by a screw 32, whereby theguide-fin .19 may be raised against the action of its spring 24 into aninoperative position wherein the lower surface of said guide-fin issubstantially flush with the tread surface of the foot-plate 9. Thelifting-lever 31 is releasably held in its fin-lifted position by alatch-lever 33, pivotally secured upon a lug 10 by the head 14 of thefoot-plate fulcrum-pin and engaging anose 35.0f the lifting-lever underthe action of a bow-spring 36. The spring 36 is secured by a screw 37upon the rear face of the lug 10 carrying said latch-lever. It will beunderstood that the guide-fin 19 is automatically latched in raisedposition by merely operating the lever 31 to lift said guide-fin andthat the latter is released and automatically lowered into edge-guidingposition by merely releasing the latch-lever 33. Obviously, thedescribed guide-fin lifting arrangement might be duplicated, if desired,for the guide-fin 20. The guide-fins 19 and 20, which partake of anyrocking movements of the foot-plate 9 by reason of the guidepins 21entering the foot apertures 22, are provided in .their upper surfaceswith recesses 38 affording the necessary clearance for the fulcrum-pin13 during the vertical yielding movements of the fins 19, 20, theforward ends of said fins terminating in upstanding toes 39 disposeddirectly rearward of the upturned presser-foot toe 16.

. Fixed upon the cloth-plate 2 by screws 40 is an angularattachment-supporting plate 41 in part overhanging the front apron ofsaid cloth-plate, upon which plate 41 are suitably secured a pair ofguide-loops 42 for a slide-bar or -member 43 shiftable endwise in adirection cross-wise of the line of seamformation. The front edge of theslide-bar 43 has a pair of laterally spaced notches 44 and 45alternately engaged by a latch comprising a bent spring-plate 46 securedby screws 47 upon the front overhanging portion of the plate 41.

Secured by screws 48 upon the slide-bar 43, at the left hand side of theline of seamformation and for'adjustment lengthwise of said bar 43, theshank 49 of a turn-under edge-folder comprising, in the presentinstance, a work-supporting apron 50 carrying a folding scroll 51. Inits operative position, the scroll 51 is disposed directly in front ofthe presser-foot to direct the folded edge of material into the path ofboth needles 5, and in its inoperative position the edgefolder isdisposed entirely at the left hand side of both lines of seam-formation.

At the right hand side of the line of seamformation, thesupporting-plate 41 has a rearwardlv extending ear52 upon which abracket-plate 53 is pivotally secured, by a screw 54. Adjustablyfastened upon the bracket-plate 53, by screws 55, is the shank 56 of astripfolder which may be of any suitable or well known construction tofold under the longitudinal margins of a strip of material. The presentstrip-folder is very similar to the disclosure in the U. S. patent to A.H. De Voe, No. 992,942, May 23, 1911, and comprises a trough-shapedchannel-member 57 affording, at its receiving end, upturned parallelguide-lips 58 for the edges of a strip introduced flatwise into thefolder. Intermediate its ends,the channel-member guide-lips 58 areturned inwardly to form confining wings 59 whose edges are at firstspaced apart to expose the middle portion of the strip for conveniencein initially introducing the strip into the folder and then convergetogether at the delivery end of the folder to thereby form a guide-tube60. Within the bottom of the receiving end of the channel-member 57 isinserted a rectangular spacing block 61 termiv nating toward thedelivery end of the folder in a spring-tongue or arbor 62, freelysuspended Within the guide-tube 60 but limited in downward movement by arib or fin 63 rising from the bottom of said guide-tube. It will bereadily understood from the foregoing description that a strip offabric, of suitable width, in its passage through the folder hasitslongitudinal margins folded about the tongue 62 into. engagement withopposite sides of the rib 63 below said tongue. Secured by screws 64upon the slide-bar 43 to project laterally therefrom is a plate 65 fromwhich rises a pin 66. T he pin 66 enters a cam-slot 67 provided in thestrip-folder bracket-plate 53 in a direction whereby endwise movement ofthe slide-bar 43 imparts swinging movements about the pivot-screw 54 tothe bracket-plate 53, and therefore to the strip-folder carried thereby.A stop-pin 68 rising from the supporting plate 41 in a position to beengaged by a side edge of the bracket-plate 53, serves to limit theswinging movement of the edge-folder into operative position. I

When it is desired to prepare folded belt loop strips, the strip-folderis caused to occupy its operative position in front of the presser-foot,as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, by shifting the slide-bar 43 to the left,thereby carrying the edge-folder into inoperative position. Also, thelatch-lever 33 is released from the presser-foot guide-fin lifting lever31, as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, whereby both guide-fins 19, 20 areyieldingly depressed by the springs 24 below the presserfoot treadsurface and form-therebetween a guiding channel for the strip folded bythe strip-folder and directed by the guide-fins to and past the needles.

In preparing folded belt-loop strips which are substantially Wider thanthose folded by the stripfolder, the slide-bar 43 is shifted to theright to an extent limited by the engagement of the'folder shank 49 withthe adjacent guide-loop 42, thereby swinging the strip-folder about thepivot-screw 54 into its inoperative position at the right of the line ofseam-formation, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This movementof the slide-bar 43 carries the edge-folder also to the right and intoits operative position. The lifting-lever 31 is actuated to raise theguide-fin 19, whereupon the latch-lever 33 maintains the fin in saidposition. A strip of material supported by the folder-apron 50 has onemargin folded by the scroll 51 and the fold-edge is guided to and pastthe needle by the guide-fin 20. After one folded margin of the strip hasbeen secured by stitching, the material is turned end for end and theopposite lon itudinal margin of the strip is similarly f0 ded andstitched.

It is to be understood, of course, that the invention in its broaderaspects is not limited to the specific construction or even types ofwork guides herein described and that finlifting means may be associatedwith either or'both of the presser-foot guide-fins.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis 1. The combination with a sewing machine stitch-forming mechanism, ofa pair of guiding devices alternatively operative for directing work tothe stitch-forming mechanism, and a member operable to shift one of saidguiding devices into operative position from an inoperative position atone side of the line of seam-formation and simultaneously shift theother guiding device to the opposite side of the line of seam-formationfrom operative to inoperative position.

2. The combination of a sewing machine stitch-forming mechanism, of apair of guiding devices alternatively operative for directing work tothe stitch-forming mechanism, a pivotal support for one of said guidingdevices, and a member operable to swing the pivotally supported guidingdevice from operative to inoperative position at one side of the line ofseam-formation and simultaneously shift the other guiding device intooperative position from an inoperative position at the opposite side ofthe line of seam-formation.

3. The combination with a sewing machine stitch-forming mechanism, of amember shiftable in a direction cross-wise of the line ofseam-formation, a work-guiding device carried into and out of operativeposi work-guiding device, and an operative connection between thepivotally supported work-guiding device and said member effective toswing said pivotally supported device into and out of operative positionalterthe other is shifted into inoperative position,

tion by said member, a pivotally supportednatively with the work-guidingdevice carried by said member..

4. The combination with a sewing machine stitch-forming mechanism of apair of guiding devices alternatively o erative for directing work tothe stitchorming mechanism, and means operative to shift one of saiddevices in one direction from its operative into an inoperative positionat one side of the line of seam-formation andsto simultaneously shiftthe other guiding device into operative position in the same generaldirection from an inoperative position at the opposite side of the lineof seam-formation.

5. The combination with a sewing machine stitch-forming mechanism, of aslide-bar shiftable crosswise of the line of seam-formation, anedge-folder carried by said slidebar having an inoperative position atone side of the line of seamformation, a pivotally supportedstrip-folder disposed at the .opposite side of the line ofseam-formation,

and an operative connection between said strip-folder and the slide-baracting to swing the strip-folder into and out of operative positionalternatively with said edge-folder.

, 6. The combination with a sewing machine stitch-forming mechanism, ofa pair of guiding devices alternatively operativefor directing work tothe stitch-forming mechanism, an operative connection between saidguiding devices effective to shift one of said guiding devices intooperative position as and an edge-guide c'oacting with both of saidguiding devices in their operative position to direct the work past thestitch-forming mechanism.

7 The combination with a sewing machine stitch-forming mechanism, of anedge-folder and a strip-guide alternatively operative for directing workto the stitch-forming mechanism, a presser-foot, a pair of edgeguidescarried by said presser-foot disposed to direct past thestitch-formingmechanism the longitudinal edges of a strip passed throughthe strip-gulde in the operative position of said strip-guide, and meansfor shifting one of said edge-guides into an in operative position.

8. The comb'nation with a sewing machine having stitch-forming mechanismand a work-support, of a pair of work-guiding devices alternativelysniftable into operative position in advance of the stitch-formingmechanism, a Presser-foot opposed to the work-support, a pair ofsubstantially parallel edge-guides yieldingly opposed to the sewingmachine work-support in the oper- 125. ative position of one of saidwork-guiding devices, and'means for shifting one of said edge-guidesinto an inoperative position.

9. The combination with a sewlng machine having stitch-forming mechanismand a Work-support, of a pair of work-guiding devices alternativelyshiftable into operative position in advance of the stitch-formingmechanism, a presser-foot opposed to the 5 work-support, laterallyspaced edge-guides carried by said presser-foot yieldingly 0pposed tothe sewing machine work-support in the operative position of one of saidworkguiding devices, means for raising one of said edge-guides into aninoperative position, and means for releasably latching the edge-guidein its inoperative position.

10. The combination with a sewing machine .having stitch-formingmechanism and a work-support, of a plurality of work-guiding deviceshaving their operative positions in advance of the stitch-formingmechanism, a presser-foot opposed to the work-support, laterally spacededge-guides mounted upon said presser-foot for vertical yieldingmovements independently of each other and of the presser-foot, saidedge-guides coacting with one of the work-guiding devices in directingthe work past the stitch-forming mechanism, and means for releasablylatching one of said edge-guides in inoperative position.

11. The combination with the stitch-forming mechanism of a sewingmachine, a work-support, and a pivotally supported Presser-foot opposedto the work-support, of work-guiding means acting to direct work pastsaid stitch-forming mechanism including laterally spaced edge-guidesmounted upon said presser-foot for vertical yielding movementsindependently of each other and of the Presser-foot during the operationof the machine, said edge-guides partaking of the pivotal movements ofthe presser-foot, 9,,and means for releasably latching one of saidedge-guides in inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

' RUDOLPH J. SAILER.

